Interdisciplinary scholars developing a sophisticated understanding of the problems of social concern.

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Welcome to Ethics in Society

The McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society is committed to bringing ethical reflection to bear on important social problems through research, teaching, and engagement. The major problems faced by our troubled globe -- extreme poverty, environmental sustainability, and international peace and security -- are not only technological in nature, but also moral. To that end, we develop initiatives with ethical dimensions that relate to important public problems and draw on the established strengths of interdisciplinary Stanford faculty.

In this year’s Wesson Lecture, Francis Fukuyama discussed what he sees as the central problem of U.S. American democracy at the outset of the 21st century: a combination of social polarization and a political system with too many “veto points”.

How can markets be designed to embody and promote important values? Which values ought to guide the design of different markets? These and related questions were the focus of the Center for Ethics in Society’s recent event on Ethics and Market Design.